Adding 2nd battery, help with questions please

[daveinspain]

I´ve got a 2011 Rapido 2.3 Fiat Ducato, no solar or inverter.

I´m adding a second identical battery, a Yuasa L36 EFB 100A, and would like to know the following please:

• Will it damage my alternator, which has a split charge relay with priority going to the hab battery.
• Will it damage my on-board charger, an CBE 516 16A, with 2A going to engine battery.

I´ve googled these questions, but got mixed answers, so thought it best to ask the people who have actually done this!

Any help much appreciated.

 

[daveinspain]

bump

 

[WildBunch]

If wired correctly in parallel, it should not be a problem for your alternator or charger. It will take longer to fully charge 2 batteries rather than the 1 you have now.
There are other considerations, the second battery must be the same type & size of the existing. It should also be the same age & condition, if not the older battery will "drag " down the new battery.

 

[daveinspain]

Thanks WildBunch, that´s what I was hoping to hear, it makes sense to me. New battery is identical, old one nearly new with very little use.

 

[autorouter]

The extra battery is a 100Ah capacity, not 100A. In other words, if charged at 20A it will take 5 hours (20A x 5h = 100Ah). The alternator will not be able to tell there is a second battery, so it will just push out the same charging amps, but it will obviously take twice as long to fill up the two batteries.

Your mains charger will do the same, it will just take twice as long. Some of the more delicate chargers may not like this, but your CBE charger shouldn't have a problem.

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[599]

we asked the same question to sargents AT hull & they said your on -board charger should tell you what AH per hour it will charge . ours is 220 ah so 2 battery's at 110 ah each as our m/h came with only 1 battery

 

[daveinspain]

Thanks, autorouter